The amount of light produced by laser light sources used in projectors may vary over time based on factors such as age and temperature. In an attempt to overcome these variations, laser light sources may be “calibrated” periodically to determine their operating characteristics, and then laser light source drive values can be adjusted accordingly. One method of calibration includes periodically driving the laser light source with a known value (sometimes referred to as a “calibration value” or a “calibration pulse”) and measuring the actual amount of light produced.